Free
by Last Angel in Hell
Summary: During a run to get medical supplies, Rick and Shane come across more than they bargained for. A routine "shopping trip" goes from bad to worse when they find a survivor in the town hospital. How will the extra "baggage" affect the group? How will Rick and Shane handle taking another person under their wing? Shane/OFC, Rick/OFC. Rated M for future. re-posted under new pen name
1. Awakening

**I DON'T OWN ANYTHING YOU RECOGNIZE FROM THE SHOW.**

**STORY IS SET AFTER SEASON 2, EPISODE 7.**

**This story is also a re-post of a story I have published under a different account but sadly I lost access to that account. So please do not report me and so on and so forth!**

* * *

**FREE**

She could barely remember what things were like before the outbreak. She had vague memories of sunshine and flowers and friends laughing together. Everything seemed to be so long ago.

She couldn't remember anything from before she woke up in a vandalized apartment. She had stumbled across the room while frantically looking for the bathroom as a jolt of pain shot through her and she felt her stomach turn on her. The contents of her stomach barely made it to the toilet as she threw herself in through the door and she cried out in pain as wave after wave shot though her. She had no idea why she was in pain but soon discovered a gash in her side from an inch below her right breast and down to her hip. Her stomach turned over and over until nothing more than stomach acid filled the toilet bowl.

And then she passed out.

She awoke to find herself in a hospital bed and unable to move. Her head was pounding and her vision blurred but the pain was gone and for a brief moment she was able to relax. But that feeling quickly disappeared as she felt fear creep up on her as the restraints started feeling tighter and tighter around her. She gasped and strained to get loose but she couldn't. That's when she screamed.

Something slammed against the door to the room she was in and she immediately went quiet. From the other side of the door noises of shuffling feet and the sounds of angry and aggressive moans as something slammed against the door over and over. She held her breath and stared at the door as if it was going to magically disappear but the door wouldn't budge. She watched the door with frightened eyes and couldn't help but stop breathing completely as she heard and saw the rattling of the door handle. The door handle wouldn't budge but even though she realized she was locked in the room, the very thought of finding out what was on the other side of the door frightened her even more. Her body tensed and she couldn't help but close her eyes and steady herself by taking slow deep breaths letting her lungs fill with air to the point where it started feeling uncomfortable before releasing.

How long she had been lying in the bed she didn't know. All she could feel was the hunger becoming more and more unbearable and the room smelling worse and worse as day became night and night became day. Where was she? Why was she there? Why had she been tied up?

She spent her days crying out for help but all she could hear was shuffling of feet and slamming against the door as she lay helpless on the bed. She was scared but unable to cry. She felt weak and unable to do anything about it she felt herself slipping away.

Rick Grimes and Shane Walsh had been friends for as long as they both could remember. To count the ways they were different would take a long time but nevertheless they had become friends and they had each other's backs no matter what. Rick didn't like the thought of going into another hospital but they were running short of supplies and ever since they left Hershel Greene's farm they had been on the move for three months only stopping to pick up supplies when they were needed.

They had left soon after they had discovered the truth about why Hershel had been hiding the walkers in the barn. At first they had thought that he simply hoped for a cure that would turn his family and friends back to normal but that was proved wrong when the group discovered he was hiding the walkers in the barn. Glen had been the one to reveal the truth to them all and Shane had lost it. He had been against staying at the farm ever since they first set their feet there but because of Carl's condition they didn't have much of an option. But Carl pulled through but the joy of seeing the boy back up and about died with the revelation of what was in the barn.

Shane couldn't help but think back on the day where he broke open the doors to the barn and let the hungry walkers out into the sun. They had been shot dead one by one. He could still remember how silent they all became when the last walker had walked out from the shadows of the barn. Sophie.

Hershel had confessed to wanting to find out how long it would take the walkers before they died off. He kept them locked up and studied them. Little did he know that Otis' wife had decided to keep them all alive. Everyone had been shocked to see the girl walk out from the barn. They had expected the worst but who knew she'd be right under their noses. Everything went from bad to worse and they all decided that leaving was the best thing to do and they had been on the road ever since only stopping when they absolutely had to.

Rick and Shane slowly made their way in through the front doors of the hospital. They had left the vehicles on the outside of the town to avoid drawing the attention of the walkers that were still there. Not knowing how crowded the town was, they knew they took a chance by making a quick shopping trip but they needed the supplies. They made a quick sweep of the first floor of the hospital.

The hospital looked the same as every other hospital they had come across. Each floor showed signs of walkers either dead or… dead but they didn't see anything moving. They slowly made their way up the stairs to the third floor before they saw any sign of life. A group of five walkers were walking back and forth at the end of the corridor that lead to the medical storage room and Rick and Shane knew they had to take them down. However, all of a sudden they heard a scream and the walkers turned towards one of the doors leading to a patient's room.

Rick looked over at Shane and they slowly made their way over to the walkers as the screaming continued keeping the group distracted. They took them down one by one.

"Someone's in there," Rick stated in a hushed voice as he looked over at Shane.

"Let's just get what we came for," Shane replied dryly. "Whoever it is, it doesn't sound human."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Rick stared at his friend in disbelief.

"I don't want to do this anymore, Rick," Shane stared at the door in front of them and kicked it in out of anger.

The girl on the bed glanced over at the door and stopped screaming as she heard gun shots. Biting her lip to quiet herself she stared at the door. As it flew open and the two men walked in guns raised she couldn't help but start screaming again. She was tired, so very tired. She looked over at the two men, stopped screaming and let her screaming lips be replaced by a weak smile before she closed her eyes.

Rick looked over at Shane in disbelief and he was met with the same face as Shane looked back at him.

* * *

Please read and review!


	2. Guilt

**I DON'T OWN ANYTHING YOU RECOGNIZE FROM THE SHOW.**

**STORY IS SET AFTER SEASON 2, EPISODE 7.**

**This story is also a re-post of a story I have published under a different account but sadly I lost access to that account. So please do not report me and so on and so forth!**

* * *

**FREE**

Rick and Shane couldn't believe what was lying on the hospital bed in front of them. Strapped down like a test subject; was a young girl who looked more dead than alive. The stench in the room was horrid and they both assumed that she had turned, but as they closed in on the bed to take a closer look they could see that there was a faint spark of life left in her eyes. Rick walked up close to her as he pulled out his knife and reached his hand out to push the hair out of her face. A lone tear slid down her cheek as she felt him cut the restraints keeping her locked to the bed. Shane watched them as he reached into his backpack and pulled out an energy bar. He knew it wouldn't help much but it was better than nothing at all. He helped Rick get her seated on the bed and broke off small pieces of the energy bar before feeding it to her between small gulps of water.

Tears streamed down her face as she felt piece by piece of the most delicious food she could remember tasting slip in between her lips. The water quenched her thirst and she could feel her energy rise though only by a little. She was aware that the two men were talking to each other but she was unable to focus on what was being said. She focused on the food and closed her eyes just reveling in the taste.

Shane grabbed the backpacks and bags they had brought with them and made his way out of the room, making sure there were no more walkers around before heading straight for the storage room. He broke the door in and continued to fill the backpacks and bags with whatever medical supplies were left in the room. His mood lightened up a bit as he found both plenty of painkillers and antibiotics amongst the various drugs lined up on shelves and in drawers. He had a list he went by to pick up what the rest of the survivors had wanted them to pick up and then proceeded to gather together everything else he could think of as useful in the future.

He walked further into the room, filling the bags as he went, and made sure that there weren't anything left of interest before turning to head back to the hospital room where Rick was waiting. As he turned he couldn't help but notice a door with a small sign on saying "locker room" and decided to take a peek. The door was unlocked which made entry easy and the room proved to host nothing more than lockers and a shower area that miraculously still had running water. He smirked and left the room to go get Rick.

"Found a shower and some clothes," his thick accent reached Rick and he motioned to the girl as Rick cast a glance back at him over his shoulder. Rick turned back to the girl and smiled weakly before reaching down and picking her up. Shane made sure the way was unblocked as the trio made their way through the storage room to the locker room and into the shower.

Rick was glad the girl was pretty much out of it as they slowly started stripping her of the hospital gown she had been wearing. The gown stuck to her skin because of urine and shit and he couldn't help but gag at the thought of her lying in her own filth for as long as she had. She was barely more than skin and bones and he made a comment about her being alive when the odds of anyone surviving her situation were grim. Shane didn't speak, but simply picked her up and carried her over to the shower and placed her on the floor letting her soak underneath the warm spray of water before dousing her in whatever shower gel he could find from going through the lockers. She was beginning to look a lot more alive as the grime washed off her and he smiled to himself as he studied his handiwork. As soon as they had gotten her as clean as they could, he wrapped her up in a towel and dried her off before slipping the sweats and t-shirt he had found for her.

The warmth of the water hitting her made her relax. She didn't open her eyes and didn't make a sound for she had barely any energy left. The small boost of strength from the energy bar quickly passed and she let herself be taken from the bed and led to wherever she was. She felt warm strong hands wash every part of her only to be replaced by a huge towel once they were done with the shower. She was about to object when they took the towel from her but the towel was followed by clothes that were way too big for her, but they'd have to do for now.

They had both been watching her intently as Shane was cleaning her up. Her hair was a lifeless dark brown color and her body was pale from lack of nutrition. As they had undressed her and peeled off the bandage that had been wrapped around her they noticed a mildly irritated nut healing cut that had been sown back together. Rick couldn't help but comment on how lucky she was for it not getting infected from the filth she had been stuck in. Shane made a mental note to feed her some of the antibiotics once they got back to the others; better safe than sorry. He brushed has hair out of her face and looked at her. Her eyes were closed but he knew she was awake. She opened her eyes and stared straight back into his and he couldn't help but smile at her. She was so delicate.

Shane picked her up as Rick went for the bags and they slowly made their way out of the hospital and back out of the town unseen. Rick didn't have to say anything; Shane already knew they were bringing her with them.

The girl drifted in and out of sleep for the next week. The women took their turn watching over her as the caravan started moving again. Everyone had been curious about the young girl when Rick and Shane had brought her back with them and when they told everyone where they had found her and what condition she had been in they all decided to pitch in to help her recover. The week passed slowly but the girl showed signs of growing stronger and stronger each day.

Carl was sitting next to her watching her as she slept. He was glad that they had found her for it gave him something else to think about since the incident where Sophie was killed… for the second time. He noticed she started to stir and got a cup of water ready for her as he had been told to do. The girl opened her eyes and stared straight up at him and accepted the water she was offered. She gave him a weak smile.

"What's your name," he asked out of curiosity, but not expecting an answer.

"Madison," was her only response as she rolled over and drifted back to sleep. Carl got hysterical and hurried to the front of the moving vehicle and told his mom who was sitting next to Dale as he was driving.

"Her name's Madison," Carl proudly told his mom and she smiled and ran her hand through her son's hair. It was going to be nice to have a new face amongst them once she recovered to the point where she'd be able to be up and about.

Shane's mind was filled with guilt. He left Rick for dead… he shot Otis… he wanted to stop looking for Sophie only to find out that she had been turned into one of… them. He gripped the steering wheel with his left hand as he ran his right over his face. He was exhausted beyond reason and he was tired of being on the move. He had barely spoken to any of the others since they left the farm and he was sure they all hated him. He was sure everyone knew what had happened. If Dale knew, how could the rest not know?

He thought back on the girl they picked up at the hospital and how frail she looked. Had Rick been that bad when he escaped the hospital? Had he been left there to rot like the girl had? Shane was at a loss of what to do. He wanted Lori. He needed Lori. But that was never going to happen. She shunned him like the plague and he understood why. She blamed him for leaving Rick behind. She blamed him for almost getting Rick killed by leaving him behind. She blamed him for lying to her about Rick being dead. She had every right to blame him. All he did was do bad things worse. But there was one thing he did know and that was that he hadn't complained when Rick wanted to bring the girl back with them. For once in his life he felt that the right thing to do was to keep her around instead of going by what his head told him. A group is only as strong as its weakest member.

He stared ahead as he drove along the highway. Maybe that wasn't always the case?

* * *

Please review!


	3. Family

**I DON'T OWN ANYTHING YOU RECOGNIZE FROM THE SHOW.**

**STORY IS SET AFTER SEASON 2, EPISODE 7.**

**This story is also a re-post of a story I have published under a different account but sadly I lost access to that account. So please do not report me and so on and so forth!**

**Thanks to lulu9994 for commenting!  
**

* * *

**FREE**

Madison smiled down at the young boy and relentlessly teased him about his freckles. He tackled her and attempted to tickle her but she was quicker than he had anticipated and rolled out of the way. Ever since she woke up, Carl had been by her side keeping her company. If it was to distract him from the fact that his earlier playmate was dead or out of pure boredom as well as curiosity, she didn't know. She didn't know much about the group of people who had taken her in but she was glad to be out of the hospital.

She silently thanked the walkers for overrunning the farm the group had been staying at. She felt bad for the people who ended up dying, but without them she wouldn't be alive. If it hadn't been for the farm, Rick and Shane wouldn't have found her.

Carl squealed when Madison jumped him as a counter-attack and pinned him down to relentlessly tickle him. From the front of the RV he could hear Rick laugh and she grinned at him over her shoulder. Lori joined in the laughter and soon they all found themselves having a hard time to keep both their breath steady as well as tears from flowing freely from laughing.

"That's what you get for trying to tickle someone, Carl" Rick chimed and looked at his son. "Never think you have an advantage, especially when the one you're targeting is twice your size!" he rose from his seat and made his way back to his wife and sat down before pulling his son close and ruffling his hair.

"Just wait and see, soon you'll be bigger than all of the guys here and then you can tackle them as well!" Madison tugged on the boy's shirt and smiled. Lori smiled weakly at the statement and looked at her husband. They all knew the chances for that happening were slim but hearing Madison say it out loud with so much power and feeling in each word almost made them believe it.

"I can't thank you enough for getting me out of there," Madison looked at Rick who nodded back.

"We couldn't leave you there, it wouldn't be right. Especially since you were alive…" he trailed off and looked down at the floor.

"Rick…" she paused and reached out to place a hand on his as he rested his elbows on his knees and leaned forward. "Rick… if it hadn't been for you and Shane I would have been dead for sure… or worse! One of THEM. Just imagine… being one of them AND tied to a bed! At least I wouldn't be able to hurt anyone but I wouldn't even be able to fight back if they had gotten into the room in the first place," she gripped his hand and made his eyes meet hers. "To me… you're my superhero," she grinned and looked at Carl. "Your dad really is a superhero, kid," Carl nodded proudly and smiled at his dad who seemed to have tears forming in the corner of his eye.

The group went silent and Madison took her time to study them all. The group really was like one big family. Of course, there were disagreements and quarreling, but what family didn't have some sort of feud going? She had learned that Lori was pregnant and she was happy for her but scared at the same time. It was still months away and a lot could change till then but there was always the chance they wouldn't. Out of all the family members there were two she couldn't quite figure out. One was the redneck, Daryl… and the other Shane.

Daryl was easy to get along with however, don't speak to him unless spoken to. And try to not make a fool of yourself because he would never let you live it down. She had witnessed him relentlessly teasing Carl about everything he did wrong but Carl seemed to not care. It seemed Carol had a thing for the reckless redneck and it was interesting to watch. Whenever they camped, she would bring him dinner or try to make small talk or simply wash his clothes and he'd brush her off and act as if he didn't need anyone to care for him. She would clean the squirrels he'd bring back when he had been hunting and she'd make sure he always got the biggest pieces of meat. If Madison didn't know any better she'd say they were already an old married couple by the way they were acting.

She hadn't really been able to spend much time with Shane other than to thank him for saving her. He had shrugged it off and looked anywhere else but at her. He was troubled, that was for sure so she didn't push him.

"We'll camp up ahead," they had just crossed the border to Montana and Rick vaguely remembered a camping site not far from where they were. They had been there once on a vacation trip when Carl was around two years old. "If I remember correctly there should be a camping area up ahead," he glanced over at Lori who stared at him as she remembered where they were.

"Will it be safe though?" she looked back at him with worry in her eyes.

"I hope so," he muttered. "It's way off the road so most people wouldn't even know it's there… let us hope there's no walkers," he honked the horn once and turned the blinker on the RV on as they came drove closer to the exit off the highway. They drove through the trees and followed a poorly kept driveway up to a series of small cabins. The place looked deserted. Rick turned the RV off and told everyone to stay in the cars before motioning for Shane and T-Dog to follow him. Daryl had already taken off into the woods surrounding the area.

The group sat in the RV in silence and listened. They heard doors open and close and after an hour of checking the buildings, Rick peeked back in the car and gave them the all clear.

"I wonder if they still have running water," Carol absently muttered as she made her way over towards one of the cabins and looked inside. The cabins were small with a combined sleeping and kitchen area and one separate bathroom with a shower, toilet and sink. The typical low end standard cabins for rent.

"THERE'S TOILET PAPER!" Glen came running towards the group with his arms full of toilet paper. He grinned from ear to ear and started filling the RV up wherever there was room.

"There's hot water too!" Carol came running out of the cabin and was ecstatic. Silence spread among the group and they all looked at each other before dividing into smaller groups or singles to take advantage of the luxury.

Shane sat on the steps to the RV and watched everyone and noticed Shane leaning against his truck with a tired look on his face. He glanced back at her and gave her a small nod. He was about to walk away when he felt a hand on his arm and looked down at the girl standing next to him.

"You ok?" Madison looked up at him. She hadn't noticed how tall he really was and was in awe as she stared up at him. His dark eyes shone in the dimming light as the sun was setting and she could see him bite the inside of his cheek. "You've been very quiet at least from what I have noticed" she let her hand linger on his arm a bit longer than intended before pulling it back but not letting her eyes leave his.

"Just have a lot on my mind, that's all," he muttered and looked down. He wanted to be anywhere but there and she frowned.

"Well… I'm going to go and grab a shower, I guess," Madison smiled at him and slowly made her way over to one of the cabins.

"Hey, Madison…" he walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. She turned to look at him. "If you can't sleep… come find me?" he asked and looked down at the ground as he let his hand drop from her shoulder.

"Will do," she answered with a frown and stared at him completely confused. "Is there something you want to talk about?" she gently asked. She frowned more as he half shrugged and shook his head. "If I can't sleep I'll find you," she nodded in agreement and he looked up at her as she turned and disappeared into the cabin.


	4. Dream

**I DON'T OWN ANYTHING YOU RECOGNIZE FROM THE SHOW.**

**STORY IS SET AFTER SEASON 2, EPISODE 7.**

**Thanks to Leyshla Gisel, lulu9994 and Kit-cat99 for commenting!**

**Short chapter, but it's just a filler until next update! Please read and review! What do you think should happen next?**

* * *

**FREE**_  
_

_...Dream  
_

_Madison twirled around on the dance floor with her best friend, Susanne. They had been invited to a party after work and even if she had been hesitant to go, Susanne had managed to persuade her. She pulled her close and ran her hands up and down along Susanne's back making sure to grab a handful of ass in the process. Both of them were fully aware of the male audience and Susanne was desperate to get laid._

_They winked at the guys that gathered around them and leaned close to Susanne and kissed her cheek just for fun. They both giggled madly as the simple action caused a riot between the guys. The couple of the guys decided to make a move on them and joined them on the dance floor and they were soon separated and danced with different partners. Madison looked at her partner and took in his appearance. She hadn't had much to drink compared to Susanne and she barely felt lightheaded. She took advantage of the dancing to study the guy and he wasn't bad looking. She found herself looking into his dark brown eyes and before she knew it, his lips came crashing down on hers._

_The kiss hadn't been as good as she imagined it would be. In fact, it was a bit too sloppy and had way too much tongue yet she found herself getting lost in the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck as his hands reached down to cup her backside._

_The not so innocent caress was interrupted by glass shattering and chaos erupted. Madison reached for Susanne, but she was involuntarily dragged out of the room. Madison turned to look at the shattered glass and realized it was the window to the apartment. She walked closer to the window and peered outside only to see people wobbling back and forth. She stared down at the group of people and watched as the guy who had grabbed her friend dragged her along across the lawn. The wobbling people seemed to take interest in the couple and reached for them. She could hear Susanne scream and franticly try to get away only to be knocked over by the guy who had been holding her hand. _

_Susanne screamed for Madison and their eyes locked as one of the wobblers leaned in and sunk his teeth into her arm. Madison screamed for Susanne and went for the stairs only to be met with a stranger; a man, staring blankly at her. She froze as the screams coming from her friend grew more and more pained only to become fainter by the second. Madison took a step closer to the doorway and tried to move around the man but he lunged for her. She stumbled backwards as she tried to back away, she whimpered as her leg bumped against the corner of the table. The stranger sped up and closed in on her as she tried to get away. She reached for a bottle of whiskey that was lying knocked over on the table and threw the bottle at him while telling him to back off._

_Words, nor the bottle, seemed to faze him and he closed in on her. She screamed and went for another bottle and smashed it over his head as he reached for her. The bottle shattered against his head on impact but he didn't slow down. She panicked and franticly clawed at him as she tried to push him away. She clasped the remains of the bottle in her hand as she tried to pull away further only to find herself trapped against the wall. She pushed off the wall but was pushed back against it when the man went for her at full force. Her head connected with the wall and she whimpered. _

_His hands grasped at her clothes and her arms as she tried to keep him at a distance. She stared at the man and noted his eyes were gone. How she was able to take in great detail of the man, she had no idea but he smelled like he had died and someone left him out in the sun. He snapped at her and she realized he was trying to bite her. She screamed as he bared his teeth to her and thrust the bottle against his face._

_The bottle sunk into his skull as if it was a knife cutting through butter. The bottle formed around the man's empty eye socket and she cringed as black and brown goo seeped out through the bottle. She gagged as the man fell towards her and raised her hands to push him away. The strength in her arms seemed to have left her and she was barely able to move out of the way as he collapsed._

_The room started spinning as she tried to make it to the door. Her head was pounding…_

_Dream end...  
_

Madison gasped as she sat up in bed. She had fallen asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. She shuddered and buried her face against her knees. She didn't remember what really had happened but the dream felt so real. She tossed the blankets aside and rose from the bed. She pulled the clothes she had been wearing earlier that day on and walked outside barefooted. She took a deep breath and stared up at the cloudless sky. Across from her cabin she saw Shane sitting on the steps to his own cabin. She smiled weakly as he noticed her. He motioned for her to come over and she quickly agreed and let her bare feet carry her across the grass.

"You ok?" he glanced up at her as she reached the bottom of the steps. She wrinkled her nose and shook her head 'no'. He nodded and motioned for her to sit down beside him. She smiled weakly and sat down beside him. She startled a bit as she felt his arm wrap around her shoulders.

"I had a bad dream…" she trailed off as he looked down at her.

"We all do…" he brushed her hair from her face and pulled her closer. She let her head come to rest on his shoulder and let her tears flow. "It's ok… let it out," Shane took one of her hands in his while his other hand rubbed her back. What possessed him to do so, he didn't know, but it felt right. He cut her off as she tried to speak and shook his head 'no'. "Don't speak, just let it out…" he whispered against her temple as he wrapped both his arms around her and held her as she sobbed.


	5. Halo

**I DON'T OWN ANYTHING YOU RECOGNIZE FROM THE SHOW.**

**STORY IS SET AFTER SEASON 2, EPISODE 7.**

******Thanks to Leyshla Gisel, lulu9994 and Kit-cat99 for commenting!**

* * *

**FREE**

Shane sat with his arms wrapped around Madison's thin frame. He couldn't help but notice how fragile she seemed and how disturbingly thin she was. Involuntarily his grip on her shoulders tightened as he felt her shudder. She hiccupped and swallowed to keep back the tears but he knew she needed to let go. His heart reached out for her and he wanted to be there for her even if it went against everything he stood for. His whole life he had kept people at a distance. The only person who had been a constant had been Rick but when he had married, their friendship had been put on hold.

Shane thought back on the first couple of months after Rick and Lori had gotten married. Rick would insist on them going fishing or hanging out at the bar after their shift was over, but he always ended up cancelling last minute. Sure, they'd chat while out patrolling or when they were at the police station but that had been it.

His heart had been torn in two the minute Rick had been shot. Shane felt everything he knew was slipping out of reach and there was nothing he could do to keep it. Rick didn't die and Shane would visit every day. The visits had been frequent at first but as the months passed, and things started spinning out of control, the visits became less frequent.

The day came for when everyone had to get out of town. It had started with just a couple of severe cases of the flu but soon the hospital had been overrun by the walking dead. Shane asked himself over and over why he decided to leave Rick behind, but he knew there was just a slight chance Rick would wake up. He made one last promise to his lifelong friend and got Lori and Carl out. He got them out; he kept them alive… all for Rick. He never told Lori that Rick had still been alive, but he never told her he was dead either.

Shane never intended to get involved with Lori. Things just happened. She was distraught; both because she believed Rick to be dead but also because they had to leave him behind without giving him a proper funeral. Lori had picked a fight with Shane but instead of walking away from her he was frozen in place when Lori threw herself into his arms and their lips connected. The world was coming apart and at that moment, it was the only thing he felt. His arms had wrapped around her to pull her close and that had been it. There was no going back. They were both in pain and they both clasped onto what little they had left.

Shane had been beyond happy when Rick had walked back into their lives; however, he had been at a loss of what to do. Lori shunned him from the minute she saw her "dead" husband alive and well, and he did his best to move on. He felt bad. No, bad was an understatement. He felt as if he had betrayed Rick and it had torn away at him ever since Rick came back. He had tried to speak with Lori but she had pushed him away; he had tried to stay in control of the group, but his actions and suggestions were questioned. He felt like an outcast digging claws and teeth into what little he could hold onto. He felt as if his humanity disappeared and he was left out in the dark.

He stared up at the star filled sky and thought back on when Rick had arrived at the camp. Merle Dixon, the biggest prick in the world, had been left on the roof of a skyscraper and Rick had had waltzed in and decided they were going to go back after him. He had almost gotten them all killed. The group had gotten trapped in Atlanta and had barely made it back to camp only to find it overrun by walkers. They had lost two good people that night. Shane inwardly cringed and though of how it all could have been avoided if he had refused to let them go back for Merle. But then again, they all might have met the wrath of Merle's brother, Daryl. But in the end… two people died.

Rick had decided to take them to the CDC, but that had been a blind street as well; another faulty choice that nearly cost everyone their lives. They went back on the road only to have Sophia disappear and turn up as a walker in the barn of some veterinary in the middle of nowhere. Carl had gotten shot and he would never have made it if it hadn't been for Shane. Shane inwardly cringed at the thought of Otis screaming for help as he was overrun by walkers. Shane had done what he thought was right even if it meant taking an innocent life. A life for a life; seemed fair.

Shane looked down at the girl who rested her head against his shoulder. Her tears had stopped and he smiled weakly to himself.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as she tilted her head to look up at him.

"Alright… I guess. I had a nightmare… I think…" she trailed off.

"Care to elaborate? What do you mean when you say 'you think'?" his eyes met hers as he reached up and brushed her hair out of her eyes.

"It was a dream about before… before I was tied up and everything…" she muttered and looked down at the grass in front of them.

"Do you remember anything from before you woke up?" he asked quietly as his arm left her shoulders.

"Not much, just bits and pieces of what happened before…" she trailed off. She was unsure of how to explain what had happened.

"You don't need to say anything," he nudged her slightly with his shoulder

"Not much to say really… I was at a party when we were attacked by walkers. I remember fighting one off and trying to get away… my best friend died…" she sniffled and bit her lip to keep from crying.

Shane looked down Madison and reached out to wipe a tear from her cheek. He watched her and felt calmer than he had been in a long while. Sitting beside him was this complete stranger who they had accidently stumbled upon and saved. She didn't know any of them, least of all him. He had avoided her like the plague when they had brought her back to the rest of the group, but he didn't know why he had stayed away. She looked up at him and smiled weakly before looking back down. He frowned and absently ran his hand over his face and over his scalp. He missed his hair…

Madison sat beside Shane in silence. What had brought her to seek him out, she didn't know, but it felt right. Besides, he had told her to find him. She watched him out of the corner of her eye and couldn't help but notice how tired he looked. His eyes looked pained and he kept grinding his teeth. She imagined he'd be toothless within the year if he kept it up. She studied him as well as was possible considering the lack of light. His features were appealing but she could tell he was a bad boy. Her attention was caught by a barely healed cut at the side of his head and before she could stop herself she reached up and brushed a finger against the cut. He tensed and bit his lower lip as she gently prodded it; partially because she was curious about the cut but at the same time she wanted to see how it was healing. She saw a bit of pus escape the scab and frowned.

"It's infected…" she pointed out.

"Hmmm?" he absently answered.

"The cut on your head is infected," she said again and prodded the cut one last time before standing. "Is the first aid kit still in the RV?" she questioned.

"I think so…" Shane answered and looked up at her.

His breath caught in his throat as he took her in. The light from the stars caught in her hair and made it shimmer like a halo was surrounding her head. She smiled down at him before grabbing his arm and attempted to pull him from his seat. He rose after a couple of seconds of her tugging on his arm and let her pull him towards the RV. She climbed in and went searching for the first aid kit. She motioned for him to sit down by the table and he did. She pulled out a set of tweezers and gently picked the scab off before dabbing the area with a piece of cloth she had dipped in disinfectant.

"This might sting a little…" she warned him as she lightly dabbed the infected area with the disinfectant. She cleaned the cut and frowned when she discovered the only band aid that was left was a baby pink "Hello Kitty" band aid. She didn't say anything but gently applied the band aid. She smiled down at him as she let her fingers trace the side of his face and to his chin to tilt his head upwards so she could take a look at her handiwork.

"Good as new…" she giggled at the sight of the "bad guy" and his "Hello Kitty" band aid.

"Thanks…" he trailed off as he looked up at her. Without warning he rose from his seat till he hovered above her. He leaned down and caught her lips in a kiss that made her shiver. She kissed him back briefly before pulling back and out of reach. He stared at her and she stared straight back.

* * *

Reviews are appreciated!


	6. No Regrets

**I DON'T OWN ANYTHING YOU RECOGNIZE FROM THE SHOW.**

**STORY IS SET AFTER SEASON 2, EPISODE 7.**

**Thanks to Kit-cat99, Leyshla Gisel and lulu9994 for sticking with me and commenting on the story! Always appreciated! Also, glad you all liked the Hello Kitty band aid! It was a random idea that I threw in out of nowhere!**

* * *

**FREE**

Madison stared at Shane and was unsure of what to think. He had leaned down out of nowhere and kissed her. Not that she didn't like it, but she was confused. He hadn't shown any sign of wanting that sort of contact. She had gotten the impression he wanted someone to talk to; she had noticed he spent a lot of time away from the rest of the group, but she never imagined he was wanting more than words.

She bit her lip and looked to the floor. The worn carpet covering the floor suddenly looked extremely interesting. She found herself counting the stripes over and over to keep her attention from drifting back to the man standing in front of her. She inwardly frowned when he didn't speak, nor act. He was silent but he did not stop staring at her.

Shane watched her and felt unable to tear his gaze away from her. Had he gone too far? Had he overstepped the line? He felt an unsettling sensation in his stomach and felt nauseous. He hadn't meant to kiss her, or had he? He took in her appearance. She was winded and nervous. Maybe as nervous as he was? Since when was he nervous? He had been around the block, sort of speak, and even with Lori he hadn't felt as uneasy.

He took a deep breath and moved to walk back out, not uttering a single word, but he was stopped as she put her hand on his arm. She met his eyes and gave him a small smile before standing up on her toes and brushing her lips back against his. The smile grew as she felt his lips press back against hers and his hand came to rest at the back of her neck, gently holding her close. Their lips played against each other; slowly caressing each other. She found herself melting against him before breaking the kiss and burying her face against his chest.

"That was nice," she whispered as her arms loosely wrapped around his waist. He didn't answer but pulled her closer and she felt him shake. She looked up at him. "Are you alright?" she asked as their eyes met. He only nodded in response. "Are you sure?" she whispered, almost too scared to keep asking.

"I'm fine…" he gruffly answered before pressing his lips back against hers. "I need to get back out there… keep an eye on things," he added before pulling away from her arms and walking out the door.

"Mind if I join you?" she watched him as he paused and took a deep breath.

"If you want," he answered over his shoulder. She nodded slightly and walked over to him and joined him in his steady pace back to the steps they had been sitting on before.

Shane was unsure of the reason behind the kiss. He felt like running away but he was like frozen in place. Her lips had felt so nice against his and he found himself wanting to taste them again. He settled back on the steps and pulled her down next to him and wrapped his arm around her shoulders leaving them in the same situation as before only this time she had a smile on her face instead of eyes filled with tears.

"Why did you kiss me?" Madison looked up at Shane after several minutes of silence. She figured it had to be around five in the morning considering the sky was barely starting to get the morning glow back. Shane didn't answer at first, but she could feel him shift in his seat.

"I don't know…" he answered and stared ahead. Birds were chirping away around the cabins and he felt himself relaxing. The more natural noises could be heard, the more normal the woods would be. The walkers had a tendency to scare the birds as well as anything else off. Madison frowned at his answer and for a moment her smile ceased.

"Ok…" she looked down at the ground.

"Madison…" he reached out and gripped her chin in his hand. "I might not know why but I don't regret it…" he answered honestly as his eyes met hers.

"I don't regret it either…" the smile returned to her face and she leaned closer to him.

"You're so beautiful…" he whispered as his hand came up to cup her cheek and he stared into her eyes. She blushed and tried to lower her gaze but his hand kept her head tilted and he leaned closer. Their foreheads came to rest against each other and she bit her lower lip at the contact. H eyes closed and as she felt his hand move from her cheek to the back of her head and his fingers weaving themselves into her hair, she leaned in and blindly aimed her lips for his.

Shane met her halfway and their lips met. She cautiously nipped at his lower lip as his other arm wrapped around her small form and pulled her closer. She smiled against his lips as she felt herself being crushed against his rock hard body. Her lips kept nipping at his and he felt a growing sensation begin in his lower abdomen as he deepened the kiss. She couldn't help but giggle as a growl escaped his throat and she let her teeth tug at his lower lip as he pulled her onto his lap. With Madison straddling him, he felt her relax against him as his arms locked around her fully, tugging her close. His fingers slipped in under the hem of her shirt and traced patterns against her back causing a shiver to run through her. She purred against his lips.

"Some guard you are!" they both jumped at the sound of a voice interrupting them. Madison froze and looked over her shoulder fully aware they had been caught. Shane chuckled as he noticed Madison's skin color turn bright red. "What the hell is that on your forehead?"

"You were supposed to be here an hour ago man," Shane tossed back at Daryl as he peered over Madison's shoulder. "What do you mean, my forehead?"

"Got caught up. Got us breakfast," Daryl shrugged and held up a seven plump squirrels. "Carol will be getting up soon…" Daryl trailed off as he saw the woman walk out of her cabin rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Better head over to her then…" Shane quickly added trying to get rid of Daryl.

"Yeah…" Daryl answered absently and Madison couldn't help but giggle. The man was clearly smitten. Daryl walked off leaving Shane and Madison sitting in awkward silence.

"I'm going to go see if I can get some shut eye before breakfast…" Madison slowly rose from her seat.

"Mind if I join? Wasn't really assigned a cabin last night…" he asked innocently. "Don't think it'd be good to walk around looking for an available one either… since everyone's still sleeping and all…" he looked up at her.

"I guess you could join…" she answered with a small smile before turning and walking away. He was quick to follow and swept her off her feet just as they were about to enter the cabin. She let out a small squeal but was silenced by yet another kiss.

Shane lowered her down onto the bed before kicking his boots off while she removed hers. He impatiently tugged his shirt over his head and tossed it aside and he felt her eyes on him. e reached out and ran his fingers through her hair before leaning down and capturing her lips with his again. Her body tensed but she returned the kiss with equal passion and slowly leaned backwards as she reached up and hooked her hand around the back of his neck, pulling him down with her. With their lips still connected he climbed onto the bed and positioned himself between her legs without lowering himself all the way onto her.

He broke away from the kiss and looked down at her. She truly was a beauty. Her hair had fanned out on the bed around her head and her lips were bruised from the kisses. She stared right back at him before leaning up and capturing his lips with hers and her hands slowly slid down his sides and slowly moved up along his back, raking her fingernails against his skin. He shuddered at her touch and his hips slowly grinded against her. She moaned against his lips and pulled him closer to her and he carefully lowered himself onto her, letting his elbows keep most of his weight off her small form. He broke away from the kiss and brushed the tip of his nose against hers before rolling off her and settling on his side with a hand on her hip.

A part of her was thankful he stopped and she smiled at him even if she felt slightly annoyed by the loss of contact with his body.

"We should get some sleep," she barely heard him speak but even though she knew he really would have wanted to continue, he was holding back and she wasn't sure why. She bit her lower lip before asking one last time.

"Are you alright?" she looked into his eyes and waited for a response.

"I will be…" he answered and leaned in to give her a small kiss which she returned wholeheartedly before snuggling close to him to rest her head against his chest. She smiled as she heard his heartbeat and the smile grew as her eyes drifted shut and his arms tightened their hold on her. She felt safe. As she felt him start to fall asleep, she giggled to herself at the thought of the band aid that was still covering the cut on his forehead.

* * *

**What do you think? Enough steam? Or should I have waited? Maybe had them go even further? Think more drama is in order? Please review and let me know what you think!**


End file.
